Ndindi Nyoro is becoming a thorn in the side of the Kenya Kwanza administration.

At one point, 15 MPs from the Mt. Kenya region endorsed him for the 2027 running mate position, which then Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua described as childish and accused Nyoro of trying to turn the public against him.

Ahead of the 2022 general election, the MP gained popularity in Kiharu Constituency and the Central Kenya region for being one of the most vocal critics of Raila Odinga. Using public rallies and social media platforms, he portrayed himself as Odinga’s number one critic – a move that resonated well with voters in the Mt. Kenya region.

Nyoro was also one of the architects of the Mt. Kenya rebellion against President Uhuru Kenyatta, after the March 2018 handshake with Odinga. Nyoro, together with Gachagua, Moses Kuria, and Kimani Ichung’wah, was credited for playing a major role in alienating President Kenyatta and Odinga, his preferred presidential candidate in 2022, from the vote-rich Mt. Kenya region.  

However, lately, the youthful MP has sustained his criticism of the government’s economic policies, marking a sharp fall from grace for a man once considered President Ruto’s most trusted ally. Early this year, the MP lost the lucrative chairmanship position of the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) in Parliament, and his continued criticism of the government’s fiscal policies ultimately led to his complete removal from the committee.

However, President Ruto downplayed Nyoro’s removal from the leadership of the Budget Committee and said it was part of a routine parliamentary restructuring exercise. Ruto described him as an exceptionally talented and promising young leader.

Nyoro’s fall-out with the President has been gradual. First, his neutrality during Gachagua’s impeachment alienated him from Ruto’s inner circle. Secondly, Nyoro skipped key National Assembly votes, including the approval of Prof. Kithure Kindiki as Gachagua’s replacement. Additionally, despite the pressure from President Ruto’s and Gachagua’s camps, the MP maintained political focus on his constituency.

Nyoro has also been questioning the government’s handling of debt issues, fuel prices, and education funding. In April, he issued a stark warning over Kenya’s ballooning debt, cautioning that the country risks joining Africa’s growing list of defaulters. He stated that the public debt, currently estimated at KSh 11 trillion, is spiralling out of control, and any move to renegotiate it could trigger even worse economic fallout.

“The country is edging dangerously close to default,” the MP said during the Institute of Public Finance annual budget review.

He added that ongoing debt restructuring talks, including a planned visit to China by President Ruto, signalled just how fragile the situation has grown. “Any indication that we are unable to service our loans is more catastrophic to our economy.”

Nyoro further stated that Kenya’s debt has increased from under KSh 2 trillion to KSh 11 trillion over the past 12 years. Under the current regime alone, the country’s debt has surged by more KSh 2 trillion, rising from KSh 10.9 trillion as of December 2024, according to Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) data. Local lenders account for 54% of this debt, while 46% is owed externally.  

On taxes, he has also been vocal about the government’s aggressive approach, stating that it has backfired on the economy. “Increasing taxes to get more revenue is a fallacy. You end up distorting economic decisions. People stop spending and investing, and that means even the little revenue you hoped to raise never materialises.” 

Fuel Prices

In mid-July, the MP shared his concern over a spike in fuel prices. He raised red flags over what he termed as opaque and potentially unconstitutional government borrowing practices. Nyoro rejected the Ministry of Energy’s explanation that the hike in fuel price was due to rising global oil prices, claiming that it was unsupported by international market data. According to him, the true cause was domestic, excessive taxation, and the securitisation of fuel levies. Additionally, he claimed that in 2023, the government quietly implemented a KSh 7 per-litre levy at a time when global oil prices were falling, effectively denying Kenyans the relief that would have come with lower international prices.

Talanta Stadium

Days later, the MP warned that the KSh 44.7 billion bond issued by Linzi FinCo to fund the construction of the Talanta Sports Stadium could burden Kenyans with expensive debt.

Mr Nyoro claimed that the 60,000-seater stadium under construction, expected to host the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2027), is now at the centre of a growing funding controversy. The government is banking on a securitisation fundraising model to support the mega project, a move that has raised divided opinion within economic and political circles.  

The MP believes that the KSh 44.7 billion bond could end up costing taxpayers up to KSh 100 billion by the time it matures, which amounts to a hidden debt burden that future generations will be forced to bear.

Capitation

MP Nyoro has also criticised the government over what he termed as misplaced spending priorities. He accused President Ruto’s administration of neglecting the education sector in favour of political convenience and unnecessary allocations. He also accuses the government of undermining public confidence in free education by giving contradictory statements and playing political games with the future of students.

“It is appalling to see people in the same government giving different statements on the same topic. Even if it’s a lie, you should have come together to at least harmonise the lie,” he said.  

Ndindi Nyoro entered national politics in 2017 after winning the Kiharu parliamentary seat on a Jubilee party ticket. In the 2022 general election, he was re-elected in a landslide victory on a UDA party ticket.